The southern Chinese province of Guangdong reported thousands of new cases of chikungunya fever last week as the local authorities promised “decisive and forceful measures” to stop the spread of the disease.
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According to state broadcaster CCTV, Guangdong reported 2,892 new cases in the week leading up to Saturday, with no severe or fatal infections.
Most of those – 2,770 – were in Foshan, with Guangzhou, the provicincial capital, recording 65 cases.
At a meeting of the provincial government on Saturday, governor Wang Weizhong, called for “more resolute” measures to “win the tough … battle against the outbreak in the shortest possible time,” according to state-run news portal southcn.com.
On the same day, Shen Hongbing, head of the national Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, visited Foshan urging swift efforts to “stamp out the outbreak in the shortest time and safeguard public health and social stability”.
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Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes mosquito that suddenly causes high fever, severe joint pain, rash and fatigue. It cannot be contracted through direct contact with another person.